Phase Change Material Photonics

In the last decade phase change materials (PCM) research has switched from practical application in optical data storage toward electrical phase change random access memory technologies (PCRAM). As these devices are commercialised, we expect the research direction to switch once again toward electrical-photonic devices. The objective of this review is to introduce the concepts in PCM-tuned photonics. We will start by highlighting the key works in the field, before concentrating on PCM-tuned Metal-Dielectric-Metal (MDM) structures. We will discuss how to design tuneable-MDM photonics devices, their advantages, and their limitations. Finally we will discuss new materials for phase change photonics.